FCS FLASH: Got Good Tone?

 

Attachment: TONE Quiz Activity

 

FCS FLASH ISSUE Number 99: March 03, 2009

March 5: Downey: Free Gas Company Seminar: Designing Hot Water Systems for Restaurants
March 5: Walnut: Spring into Green: Fashion Show and Fundraiser
March 6: Downey: Student Design Event: "Persuasive Presentations and Communications ... for the Design Professional"
March 6: Sacramento: CDE/ECE Faculty Initiative Project
March 13-14: San Francisco: Interior Design Student Career Forum at the San Francisco Design Center
March 15-19: Las Vegas: Joint Conference National Council on Aging/American Society on Aging
March 16 -18: Sacramento: Summit and Exposition: Green California
March 20: Pasadena: CDE/ECE Faculty Initiative Project
March 26-28: Sacramento: CAEYC Conference California Association for the Education of Young Children
April 3: Novato: CDE/ECE Faculty Initiative Project
April 3: Northridge: CCGG (California Council on Gerontology and Geriatrics) Annual Meeting, “It Takes a Village: Toolkits for Effective Practice”
April 17: Downey: Registration Information Now Available: 2009 Culinary Arts and Hospitality Competition
April 22-24: Lake Arrowhead: 2009 Workforce Leaders Institute
April 24: San Diego: CDE/ECE Faculty Initiative Project
May 7: Mission Viejo: Annual Fashion Show: La Mode Du Cirque
May 16: Redwood City: Student Fashion Show: Artistry in Design
September 25-26: Sacramento: CSA Western Region, 2009 Symposium “Costume in the American West” Call For Papers

FCS ... In his latest contribution, Alan Guttman, uncovers the policy behind unlicensed or licensed exempt child care in California. It’s a controversial topic when considering the amount of state funding going towards this type of care. NY Fashion Week may be over, but for Fashion Departments at Community Colleges throughout California, spring is the season for their own fashion events. If you have an event scheduled on your campus showcasing student designs, we’ll be happy to post it on the FCS Website. Send info to jdriggers@mtsac.edu.

 

 

FCS FLASH Activity: Got Good Tone?
When you affirm others, thank people, speak respectfully, ask meaningful questions, or encourage others' talents, it engages your brain and sharpens your communications intelligence. These positive actions and behaviors in difficult or challenging situations encourage the brain to release serotonin ... a brain chemical that can enhance focus and higher problem solving skills. Good or poor tone skills have the power to move your life forward or backward depending on your behavior. The more often you choose a positive, optimistic, good tone response, the more likely you will be to continue in a more positive direction, while choosing a poor tone response will fuel conflict and limit creative problem solving options and potential. Like other brain-based skills, positive tone grows dendrite brain cells that strengthen the behavior. Modeling good tone in your classroom creates a better learning environment and gives students an opportunity to experience the positive feelings generated by good tone. In today’s activity, students will be exposed to the concept of good tone, discuss the benefits, measure their own tone, and share how they plan to develop better tone skills.

Try this:

• Ask students how they respond when dealing with a difficult situation or person.
• Explain that when we respond to difficult events and people with positive and helpful suggestions and ideas, we release a mood boosting brain chemical serotonin and grow positive brain connections.
• Distribute the Got Good Tone Quiz and have students complete it and calculate their scores.
• Discuss their results on the quiz by asking some questions. Can you give an example of good tone behaviors in your workplace? Who do you know with good tone skills?
• Share ideas on how tone could be improved and the benefits of doing so.

FYI: The human brain, then, is the most complicated organization of matter that we know. Isaac Asimov, Author/Scientist

This newsletter was brought to you by a grant from the California Community College Chancellor's Office Family and Consumer Science Collaborative Grant (#06-0160).
Please contact Joann Driggers (jdriggers@mtsac.edu) with any questions.
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